About The Area

The area around Gigante is sparsely populated and unspoiled. Those who appreciate hiking, bird watching, and just enjoying nature will find this a fascinating place to visit. A walk through the surrounding forest may give you a close-up view of families of howler monkeys, large iguanas, deer, tropical birds, and myriad other animal life. You can see flocks of pink flamingos, spoonbills, herons, and storks from the Casa Amarilla kitchen window.

Tola is the closest incorporated town and the Tola municipal government has responsibility for the coastal area from Brito to Astillero, about 28 km of coastline. There is a clinic with a doctor and a police station in Tola. The District Capital is the small city of Rivas which is on the Pan American Highway and about 13 KM from Tola. Rivas is a city of about 45,000 inhabitants with a hospital, a market, grocery stores, restaurants, banks and other service businesses that cater to the growing tourism industry in the area. The Department Police Headquarters is located in Rivas.

Just north of Gigante is the undeveloped and unspoiled beach of Playa Amarillo where visitors can enjoy solitude and beauty during a walk on this natural and undeveloped beach. The 15 minute walk to Playa Amarillo takes you through the town of Gigante and out on to a beach that has large tropical trees growing right down to the high tide line. The terrain runs back from the beach up a hillside where the forest is alive with howler monkeys. Definitely worth the short walk.

Gigant’s location in the heart of the Nicaraguan surf zone provides easy access to many of the best breaks in Nicaragua. Several articles in surfing magazines have designated Nicaragua as one of the top 5 surfing destinations in the world. This coastline picks up the large swells generated in the Southern Hemisphere during the surf season (April thru August). The prevailing wind direction is offshore (330 days a year) which sculpts the waves into long peeling lines. And the best part is that most of the breaks are still uncrowded! Panga Drop and Colorado are within walking distance. Popoyo, Rancho Santana, Manzania and more are all within a short drive or boat ride from Gigante…see the Surfing section on this site for a further description of the local breaks and how to get there!

Nicaragua is fast becoming one of the premier “frontier fishing” spots in the world. International fishermen are now exploring the abundant fisheries of Nicaragua by taking chartered boats out of Gigante. Local waters have yielded Roosterfish, Spanish Mackerel, Mahi Mahi (Dorado), Cubera Snapper (Pargo), Corvina and Billfish (Sailfish and Marlin).

Many of Nicaragua’s most popular attractions are located within a short drive from Gigante: Volcan Mombacho, an extinct volcano, has one of the most unique eco systems in all of the Americas offering tropical forest hiking and canopy tours. Granada is one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas and the city has been beautifully restored. Isla Ometepe is a unique ecosystem located in Lake Nicaragua which is the largest freshwater lake in Central America. San Juan del Sur is the largest tourism center on the coast and contains many restaurants and bars for those looking for a different type of wildlife.